Here to Stay
by J Money SBI
Summary: GregSara. There are some spoilers. Mentions GSR, kind of. Sara decides to take a chance for once, and Greg shows her that she made the right decision.
1. Take the Dive

Here to Stay 

A/N: Characters are not mine. You know the drill. The title "Here to Stay" is also the title of a very popular Korn song. I love Korn, so I paid them homage with the title. This however, is not a songfic. GregSara, mentions GSR... kind of. I really don't know where this is going. I'll probably make it a few chapters.

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters of CSI. Not trying to steal anything._

This is my first fic on this site but not my first ever.

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Another day. No, another tough day. Another day dealing with another damn domestic violence case, and everyone knows how wound up those get me. Another guy who got a little carried away while beating on his wife and finally put her out of her misery. 

Out of her misery? What's wrong with me? I think I've had a few too many this time, I'm no longer simpathetic. Just pathetic. Angry.

He's not here to make it all go away. He's not here to make that sly juvenile remark that I pretend to be disgusted by, but really has me in stitches, on the inside at least. I really should tell him how funny he is, and how he helps me get through the day. But, I'm not ready for that yet.

There's a knock at my door and I look through the peep hole to see who it is. It's Grissom. He knows I'm here, so I can't pretend I'm not. I don't feel like having my mind excavated today. Cleansing myself of my secrets feels good sometimes, but I just want to laugh for once.

"Go away, Griss." I say flatly.

"Sara, let me in." He doesn't exactly plead, he never has to.

I cave, like usual, "Okay." I open the door.

"What's wrong, Sara?"

"Let me guess, every domestic I get, ever, you feel the need to come over and give me a hug? What's your deal? I don't think it's my problem anymore. It's your concern for me that's almost sickening." I sit down in the usual spot, as he just stands there dumbfounded by my attack.

"Sara..."

"Stop, before you quote another book. Spare me. I've done the 'talk it out' thing a million times. Not saying I haven't appreciated it, but I'm done crying. I've said all I have to say, and now I'd just like to be allowed to get pissed off every once and a while." I watch closely as he shifts uncomfortably on his feet.

"Okay."

"Seriously?"

"What?" He lifts up an eyebrow and I suppress a small chuckle.

"You gave up pretty quick. I didn't even have to raise my voice."

"What can I say? I'm a reasonable guy."

"No you're not, Griss. We both know that." I finally let out a laugh, which feels pretty good, considering the source.

"There's the Sara we all know and love." He reaches out and touches the bottom of my chin ever so lightly.

"I was never gone."

---

"Hey Sara, this gun's serial number is grinded down pretty good. Can you help me out?" Greg calls at me with his boyish charm that I can't resist. Anyone else would've truly been wasting my time.

"I swear I've shown you a couple... hundred? times. It's 'ground down', by the way." I say pretending to be combative.

"Oh, you can't resist me, Sara, and you know it." I smack him in the arm, almost instinctively to get him to notice something other than my smile.

"Okay. Polish the 'grinded' down part, and then put this solution on there and wipe it away." I say letting a smile slip out.

"Wait, was that a smile, Sara Sidle? Was it? By God, boys and girls, she _can_ smile." Greg let out an innocent laugh.

I walk away, mostly to hide the fact that I'm blushing, "I hate you, Greg."

"Don't hate me cause I'm beautiful!"

I laughed.

---

This shift seemed like it took days, it's just not the same anymore. Just a few years ago I could've worked for days in a row and it would've felt like hours. After dragging my feet I finally plopped myself down on the bench in the locker room. I rested my head in my hands for just a second as Greg walked in.

"You alright Sara?"

"Actually, for once I think I am. I actually can't wait to leave work these days." I let out a laugh and look up at him.

"Me neither. Work sucks!"

"Stop lying Greg, you love being a CSI still." I shake my head at his lame attempt to be with me on something.

"Okay, okay you're right." He stops and thinks for a moment, "So, considering our conversation's subject matter, I assume you are off as of right now?"

"Right." I raise my eyebrow having a feeling this is going down a dangerous path.

"So, you wanna go hang out?"

"Sure." It slipped out before I even thought about it. I guess I need to do that more often. "I mean, I would've sat home and did nothing anyway."

"Really!" Greg exclaimed and then tried to contain his excitement.

"Hey, don't let me change my mind."

I'm flirting now. I can't believe this, it's coming to me so easy with him. He makes me feel so safe.

"Trust me, Sara, you're stuck with me now!" He says running over and sliding across the bench to give me a friendly shoulder squeeze.

---

"Where are we?" I question just making conversation.

"Oh, no place special. This is just a little club for little bands. You know me and my loud music." Greg tells me as he opens the door for me.

"Oh, so these aren't your straight out of MTV bands?"

"Hey, that's something Grissom would say..." He looks at me kind of frowning. I don't know what to say, "Speaking of Grissom..."

"Don't go there, please. I know what everyone thinks already." I say almost as matter-of-fact.

We both sit in a small booth towards the far corner of the place.

"What does everyone think, Sara?" Greg shrugs, getting kind of serious for once.

"Everyone _thinks_... which could or could not be true, by the way, that I either have a thing for Grissom, or he has a thing for me, or that we're together. The most latter I'll tell you is not true."

"I figured. I mean, Grissom's great and everything, but he's kind of old..." Greg smiles as he receives a smack to the arm. "What? He is."

I kind of slouch back for a minute, taking everything in. I decide to take a dive, and trust for once.

"Okay, I did have a thing for Grissom. But lately all he does is try to fix me."

"Like what do you mean?"

"Every time we get a domestic, he feels the need to come over and bother me..." I laugh, "But, you see there's nothing wrong."

"Why domestics?"

"Um..." I stutter. I don't think I'm that comfortable yet. "Family stuff. I only told Grissom because he caught me in a weak moment. I'm not ready to share it with everyone."

"Oh..." He looks down. "Nothing wrong with that. I mean, I'm not gunna force ya to say anything you don't feel comfortable telling me. I'm nosey, not invasive."

"There's a difference?"

"Yes. There is. Nosey is listening in on what others are saying. Invasive is digging and investigating."

"Oh, right. Are these terms in the Greg Sanders World Dictionary?"

"Why yes they are." He says as he grabs for one of the menus that were placed on the table, his hand slightly brushes mine.

Now I have that high school-like tingly feeling. That's weird.

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Reviews would be super. 


	2. Who Cares?

A/N: Glad to see some good reviews for my first chapter. It only inspires me to keep writing. :)

* * *

I look at my watch and can't believe it. I've sat here talking to Greg for two hours. I don't really feel compelled to leave, either. This is more refreshing than any sleep could ever be. 

"Sara? Earth to Sara..."

"Oh, what did you say?" I seem to have drifted off into my own thoughts.

"Nothing, you just seemed to be in lala land."

"Yeah, I was just thinking that I couldn't believe we've been here for 2 hours." I finally give up and smile.

"Oh, did you have some place to be? I don't mean to keep you up or anything..."

"Oh, no. There's no other place I'd rather be."

"Really?" He grins egotistically and flexes his muscles.

"You're such a dork."

"I know you are but what am I?" He crosses his arms as I burst into laughter.

"Great." It slipped out. At least I didn't say cute.

He sighs, "I know you are but what am I?"

"Funny."

"Well, I can't disagree there, I am quite a funny guy." he shrugs.

I roll my eyes, "You are great though. Don't let anyone tell you any different."

"Well, it looks like Miss Sidle has had one too many, she's starting to be verbally kind." he says jokingly pulling my beer away.

"Ha, I'm serious." I think a second. I don't really know if I should say anything. "I'm probably the only one who will ever say anything, but you help me through my day. Oh, and a couple of beers isn't gunna get me to say anything I don't mean. It takes a bit more than that." I can feel myself smirking.

"Duely noted. Hey, do you wanna get outta here? Go some place less loud?" Greg leans over the table slightly.

"Less loud in Las Vegas? Are you kidding? Those places exist?"

"My place, your place, desert places... unless you just wanna go home and want me to go away." He leans back nervously, suddenly losing confidence.

"There's nothing to do at my place, I'm scared of your place, and it's too hot for desert places..." I think for a moment of the best option. "My place it is. I don't really feel like sleeping, anyway."

My place. There's more control there. And, well, I don't have to worry about driving anywhere.

"You're driving, by the way. You've had one, to my two... and a half." I say lifting up my half empty beer bottle.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

He pays the bill, and we're out the door.

---

"Damn, this place is crazy clean." He traces his finger along the bookshelf.

"I'm not here long enough to make a mess, really. If I am here, I'm sleeping anyway." I'm not lying, I'm never at home, always working, sleeping or out somewhere.

I direct Greg to my couch and sit next to him, with a moderate space in between us. Close enough for now.

"How about a movie?"

"Wow, you have cable? Did see you as much of a TV person." Greg turns to face me a little almost in shock.

"It's for company, mostly. Plus, why not? I'm not exactly broke or anything. Might as well." I'm starting to rationalize. Damn Grissom's right again. Oh well. "What kind of movie do you wanna see?"

"Ooooh, something scary!" Greg shouts out almost too excited.

"Nice try."

"What...?" He thinks for a minute and starts to laugh. "You were the first person to go there!"

"Nu-uh. You know what I'm talking about, so you're just as guilty." I say pointing a playful finger at him.

He faces away from me and looks at the floor. I don't know what to do. Then it hit me, what am I doing? Holding myself back again. I put my hand on his back and he looks up at me.

"You know, a scary movie wouldn't be that bad." I can hear Greg breathe a sigh of relief. "So what will it be?"

---

I begin to shift as sunlight peeks through my window. I open my eyes and analyze the situation and begin to smile when I see that I fell asleep in Greg's arms. I think he was watching me sleep.

"That movie must've really sucked." Greg laughs. "I don't even remember anything that happened in it."

"Me neither, but I don't think it was the movie."

"Yeah, I had fun last night, too." I feel him let out a light laugh as my head still lays on his chest.

We sit there for a few minutes while I let him run his fingers through my hair.

"Can you take me to go get my car? I left it at work." I look up to talk to him.

"How about we just go in together and you drive your car home after work?"

"That makes a lot more sense. You know people are going to make comments when we show up together, right?"

"Let them, Sara. Who cares? We'll just say we had the most amazing sex last night..." Greg shrugs sarcasticly as I sit up and smack him in the arm.

"Well, you're right in a sense. Who cares what they think?"

What am I hiding from? What am I waiting for to come along that is preventing me from living in the moment. I have a great guy right in my sights. Right on my damn couch. Looking me in the eyes.

I lean in and give him a kiss.

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Once again. Review.

This was some fluff, but it progressed things, and I didn't really want to go with the "get real drunk and have sex" angle. It's too cute of a pairing for that. ;)


	3. Smiles

A/N: Sorry it took so long, but I've had some stuff going on in my life that's been messing with me a little in my head. Falling in love with your best friend **_sucks_**. I don't recommend it at all.

* * *

I've noticed that I've been smiling quite a bit more now that me and Greg threw things out in the open. With the smiles, came looks from the other CSIs. We're trained to notice those kinds of things, so I guess I should expect it. 

"Hey smiles, what's with you lately?" Nick Stokes gives me the slightest shoulder push with his fist.

"What? I can't be happy now?" I throw up my arms, not really angry at him.

"No, you can be happy, but you can share, too. I wanna know what makes Sara Sidle smile more times than not. Usually it's the other way around." Nick thinks for a moment. "Gee you and Greg sure have been chummy lately..."

I can feel my eyes bulge, and then I try to play it off.

"Aha!" Nick points his finger at me. "Warrick owes me..."

"No no no... don't tell anyone!" I say as he leans his back against the wall and grins, "I mean... I don't even know what it is yet. We only really hung out once and we didn't even really do anything. So don't say anything, for... give it a week. Please?"

He sighs. "Okay Miss Sidle. One week, to the minute."

Nick can be nice sometimes, but others he's a real bastard.

---

Nick knows, I wonder if he can actually keep a secret as silly as this one for a week. I doubt it. I gotta work fast, I guess. I feel someone pull me into the locker room as I walk by it.

"Greg, I presume." I say smiling and facing him as he flashes me a goofy grin.

"So... I was thinking. We could hang out at my place tonight. I cleaned it... it looks really nice, I promise. Well, not as nice as your place, but it's presentable... to a fine lady like yourse..." I cut him off by putting my finger on his lips.

"You must answer me one question first. What is this?"

"What do you mean by 'this'?"

"Me and you." I take my hand down.

"Well... I was really hoping that you would be my girlfriend." He thinks for a second. "You know, that term sounds very high school no matter how old you are when you say it..."

"Yeah, I know right?" I laugh and shake my head, "Greg, I would be happy to be your girlfriend. I'm a little hesitant on going to your place, but I trust you." I give him a quick peck on the lips, ruffle his hair and walk towards the door.

"Hey! I just made it look nice!"

I catch his words, chuckle slightly, and am out the door. Back to work. All work and no play makes Sara a dull girl. Tonight, I play.

---

"Well, you didn't lie. It's cleaner than I expected. I trust I won't accidentally sit on any whoopi cushions, correct?" I give him a look and make slow strides towards his couch.

"Nah... all my girlfriends kept cutting them up, so I stopped buying them. Appearently it's not supposed to be funny anymore after you're twelve. Personally I disagree." He motions for me to sit.

He sits beside my and holds my hands in his.

"Why me?" I find myself asking flatly. I can't believe I asked him that. I can't breathe as I wait for a response.

"Well, Catherine's a MILF and everything..." he says looking up in the air, obviously not being serious and I free my hands and give him a quick shove.

"Seriously..." I let him hold my hands again.

"Well, this has been a thing that's gone on in my mind forever. You've shot me down so many times, but I was never gunna give up. I would ask you out on your damn wedding day, I'd show up at your hotel at the honeymoon. Sara, you're more special than you let yourself think. You make me feel like I'm in junior high again and everytime you look in my direction I feel my heart beat faster." I feel his hands begin to sweat as he looks into my eyes.

I feel a warm tear going down my cheek as I laugh it away, "How could I have been so stupid? I completely saw through you."

"But you know what? We're here. Right now. And it feels so much better than I ever dreamed it would be." He wipes my tear away and put his hand lightly onto the top of my head and runs in through my hair and traces my jaw line.

"You dreamed... about me?"

"I guess I'm a dreamer." He leans in and kisses me for a moment and pulls backwards slightly and grins.

I return the kiss except with quite a bit more force knocking him backwards so he's laying back on the couch. I slowly climb to his lap as his arms wrap around me and crawl up my back. I touch my forehead to his and smile. "God Greg."

He continues to moves his hands up until he hits my bra strap and looks into my eyes as if to ask permission. I nod, but try to contain myself. He can't know I want it like he does. He can't know I need it like nothing I've ever needed in my life before. He undoes my bra, but he isn't moving fast enough. God, this is gunna kill me, I know it.

After a few seconds of thought, I pull my long sleeve shirt off. I don't care anymore, I need this. I need to feel free.

I start working the buttons on his shirt blindly as I suck on his neck. "Sara... I never woulda guessed."

"Guessed what?" I sit up and stop suddenly.

"That you'd be half as turned on as I am." He smirks.

I loop my finger in his necklace and pull his face closer to mine. "I woulda never guessed that I'd be either." Our lips connect as the speed is brought to a whole new level.

I've never shed clothes so fast in my life. Not even when we were being decontaminated from that mold infested house. Before I knew what was going on I found myself in Greg's bedroom looking up into his eyes. The moonlight shining in from the window made his eyes sparkle just right. Everything was so right.

"Are you sure?" Greg asks me, it's kind of cute how he thinks he has the upperhand just cause he's on top.

"Greg, I was sure when you wiped my tear away. I've never been so sure of something in my whole entire life." I tell him as I reach my hand up and touch his chest and slowly move that same hand up to his jaw cupping his face.

Smiling all along the way.

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A/N: I hope you liked. Anyway, I might be able to write more now that my best friend is out of town for the week. I can't guarentee anything, because sometimes I just shut down without him inspiring me. He's what makes me happy and it's pretty hard to keep a story happy when you're so down. :(  



	4. Me, You and the Stars

**A/N: This past week has been kinda tough on me. The last couple hours worse. I just don't know what to do right now. Kinda confused, kinda tired. I had this chapter done yesterday but didn't feel like rereading it to check for errors until tonight.  
**

* * *

I begin to stir like it's any ole morning and then I go to roll to my right and I hit something. I open my eyes and it's Greg. I look up at the ceiling and then look back at Greg. I had sex with Greg Sanders. I can't get over it. It's not terror or grief, I just can't believe how right I feel laying next to him right now. 

"Sara, you're thinking too much, I can tell." Greg mumbles as he wakes. "You're at my place, no thinking allowed."

"Well, I was thinking about you." I lay my head on his chest and I can feel him laugh but he doesn't really let out a sound.

He kisses the top of my head as he props himself up a little. "C'mon sweetheart, we should get up."

"Why?" I sit up and look up at him, "Just a little longer, please?"

"Okay, okay. But we got a long day ahead of us."

Long day? What is he talking about? Oh well. I lay back down with my head on his chest as he runs his fingers through my hair. This feels way too good to think about today as a whole... or hell, even five minutes from now. I love this. Wait... love? What? Where did that come from?

---

"The fair?" I turn and look at Greg as we pull into a huge make-shift parking lot.

"Yes, Sara, the fair..." He smiles and I can just see by the glow in his eyes there's a sarcastic remark coming just around the corner, "..and that right over there is a tree, and this is an automobile that we are riding in."

I just laugh and look at him, "Why did you pick the fair?"

"Because, I knew the fair isn't something you'd usually do and I wanted to show you all the cool stuff you can do here. You'll love it I promise." He grabbed my hands and nodded his head towards outside the car.

"Alright." I squeezed his hands and he gave my a quick kiss and then we quickly got out of the car, and like a magnet my left hand was in his right once again.

Two hours go by and I'm having an amazing time. He won me a stuffed animal, which I expected because it was just cheesey enough that Greg just had to. I've eaten enough elephant ears to explode. Who knew that some hot dough with about ten pounds of cinnamon and sugar on it could be so damn good?

"So, did I make good on my promise?" he smiles brushing a few strands of hair from my face and tucks them behind my ear.

"By leaps and bounds. I'm having the most amazing time." and at just that moment, I hear beeping that for this one time I dread. "That's me."

"Are you serious?" Greg sighs.

"Oh wait, it's Catherine. Hold on." I dail her number hoping that it's anything other than work. "Yeah, hey Catherine"

"Hey, Sara." came the familiar female voice.

"Why did you page me?"

"I just wanted you to say hi to Greg for me."

"What?" I say in shock, I think I know what's coming.

"Look to your right. Merry-Go-Round."

I'm pretty hesitant, but I have to look. I see her and slowly shut my phone. I don't really know what to do. Okay, now I wish it would've been work.

"Um, Greg... Catherine says 'Hi'..." I point to my right and then bury my forehead into my arm.

"Let's go over there! Oh, Lindsay is there too! C'mon, let's go." He sees me hesistate, "Has anything we've done so far together hurt you in any way?"

"No."

"Then I'm just asking you to trust me one more time."

---

"Hi Cath... Hello there Lindsay. How's things?" Greg walks over and hugs both of them as I just stand close but far away enough to feel comfotable and give a light wave and a smile.

"We're good. So what are you two doing here?" Catherine puts her hands on her hips quickly glancing at me and then at Greg.

Greg looks at me and I just nod. There's nothing to hide she's figured it out already. Fighting it just turns it into a rumor which is often worse than it being known as true. It's simple... if you admit something it's far less interesting than if you were trying to hide it like it's some huge deal.

"Going out on a date, like the two mature adults we are." Greg smiled and I let out a little laugh.

"You know Greg, she believed you up until you had to go and add the word 'mature'. Now she thinks you're lying about us going out!" I say as I walk closer finally feeling comfortable.

"Haha, don't worry I believe you. I owe Nick and Warrick ten bucks a piece. That sucks."

"What the hell? Do you guys have a running bet on everything that happens in my life?" I shake my head almost expecting it.

"No... no, just your relationships and what color shirt your gunna wear. I got 5 bucks on brown or any type of tannish cream color." She gives me a wink.

"Well, I'm just curious as to how you lost $20 now that we're at it."

Catherine sits down and soon Lindsay, Greg and I folllow.

"Well, silly me, I thought news would break that you and Grissom were together but Nick and Warrick insisted it would be you and Greg."

"When did you make this bet?" I raise my eyebrow. I'm pretty sure Nick and Warrick just screwed Catherine out of $20 with inside information.

"Yesterday actually... which is strange."

"Oh, Catherine. They screwed you over big time. Nick found out already... and despite my begging him not to, he probably told Warrick." I sigh but I smile. "That's what you get I guess."

"That figures." she shakes her head as everyone else laughs.

We talked for about an hour about lots of nothing which is actually refreshing, because it's a pretty new thing for me. Getting out and just talking. I really feel like I belong for once, I'm not just on the payroll.

"It's been nice, but we're gunna go. We still have some more plans for today." Greg flashes a grin at Catherine as he grabs me around my waist.

"Alright kids, play safe." Catherine waves.

Greg and I make our way to the Tahoe and I'm curious again.

"So what's next?"

"You'll see."

---

I've never had so much fun in my life, we just saw a double feature in the movie theater. Who would suspect members of the Las Vegas crime lab of sneaking in an extra flick just for the hell of it. It's not that we couldn't afford the $7 each, it was just really funny snooping around the hallways finding whatever movie we wanted to see that hadn't started already.

"Where to next, Greg?"

"Haven't you caught onto the whole secretive romantic thing yet?" He rolls his eyes sarcastically squuezing my hand as we walk out the back exit of the movie theater.

After a whole lot of driving it's finally dark out and Greg stops, "This spot looks perfect."

"But it's the middle of no where." I question.

"Exactly." He grins removing the battery from his pager and shutting his phone off. "No Catherine, no Nick, no Warrick, no work... just me, you and the stars. No that is not a line."

I don't even need to take the time to think. I pop the battery out of my pager and shut my phone off tossing them both to the floor of the SUV. I feel the weight come off my shoulders as I look into his eyes.

"So how bout those stars..."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it. It looks like I've been writing this story for a month. I'm usualy quicker to update fics, but I'm just getting back into writing and this is my first CSI fiction. Actually this is my first fic based completely on already established characters. I'm used to writing about a created main character in the world of already existing ones.**  



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